Loads such as packaged lumber, pipe, etc. shipped via open railcar must be securely tied-down to the railcar for shipment in compliance with regulations set by the railways. Conventionally, the load is carefully arranged in accordance with such regulations and tied down to the railcar surface using steel strapping and dunnage. Typically, about U.S. $200 worth of strapping and dunnage, about four man-hours of manual labor and about two machine-hours of automated labor (i.e. employing a forklift) are consumed in the tie-down operation. The strapping and dunnage adds about 1,500 pounds in weight, which must be taken into account in planning the railcar loading operation. The strapping and dunnage comprising this extra weight is scrapped when the railcar reaches its destination and the load is removed.
Newer style "center beam" railcars are provided with an integral cable-stayed load tie-down system. Such cars have a vertically extending divider which runs longitudinally along the railcar's center line. However, center beam railcars are subject to several disadvantages. For example, the divider in a center beam car precludes use of such cars in rail yards which are equipped to load or unload cars from only one side of the car. (It is not possible to load or unload only one side of a center beam car at a time, since this could cause the car to tip over. Both sides must be evenly loaded or unloaded.) Another disadvantage is that some rail yard operators use overhead cranes for loading and unloading. Center beam railcars have a roof member atop the divider which restricts load height and prevents usage of overhead cranes with such cars.
During the course of loading or unloading a center beam railcar, one or more workers must climb atop the car to attach or release components of the car's cable-stayed load tie-down system. This presents a potential safety hazard which the present invention avoids by allowing all railcar loading or unloading operations to be performed from the ground adjacent the railcar. A further potential safety hazard of the center beam railcar cable-stayed load tie-down system is its use of loose, heavy metal components such as corner brackets which must be manually positioned on the top corners of loads placed on the car before they are fixed in place. Such components may be inadvertently dropped while they are being installed, presenting serious risk of injury to persons below. The present invention does not require workers to clamber atop the loaded railcar, nor does it require heavy, loose components which may be dropped as aforesaid.
The older bulkhead style cars mentioned above do not have center dividers. By contrast, such cars have a simple flat deck which extends between a pair of transverse, vertical bulkheads located at opposed ends of the railcar. The present invention adapts such cars for the shipment of packaged lumber and similar loads in a manner which substantially reduces the need for metal strapping and dunnage, thereby reducing costs and redundant weight on the car, and minimizing the problem of having to dispose of large amounts of scrapped metal strapping and dunnage.
The invention also simplifies the railcar loading and unloading operation, which again reduces costs. Because bulkhead railcars can be loaded or unloaded from either side, and have no roof members, they are not subject to the aforementioned disadvantages of center beam cars. Further, the invention does not interfere with any traditional usage of bulkhead cars, but remains available for use in any load tie-down situation. Thus, bulkhead cars adapted in accordance with the invention can be used in "two-way" mode, to ship loads such as packaged lumber in one direction and different loads such as pipe in the return direction. This helps reduce non-revenue generating "empty miles" in which empty railcars travel in the return direction.